The Book Thief: Liesel's Timeline

Liesel Meminger's brother Werner dies

The sudden death of Liesel's brother on a train was a traumatic external conflict that would haunt her for years to come. Liesel never forgot this event and it influenced and impacted her life. She will always remember the lifelessness in Werner's eyes when he died on the ride to their new foster home.

Jan 13, 1939

"The Book Thief" Liesel Steals her First Book!

During the burial of her ittle brother, Liesel finds a black book in the ground titled, "The Grave Digger's Handbook." This special book is the first of many books Liesel steals. The book thief's career has begun! "The Grave Digger's Handbook" is an extremely significant part of the story and is the only link to her dead brother and mother.

Jan 15, 1939

Liesel meets her new parents: The Hubberman's

Liesel says goodbye and leaves her mother, for a new life with the Hubberman's on Himmel Street in Molching, Germany. This was extremely difficult for Liesel and she refused to leave the car, until her foster father Hans eventually coaxed herr out. This was the beginning of a powerful relationship between the two characters.

Jan 19, 1939

Hans Teaches Liesel to Roll Cigarettes

Hans and Liesel's relationship develops when he teaches Liesel to roll his cigarettes. She finally starts to open up and trust Hans Hubberman. He genuinely cares for Liesel and he protects her from Rosa's harsh words.

Feb 2, 1939

Liesel Finally Takes a Bath!

After two weeks of being at her new house, Liesel finally takes her first bath. Rosa rewards her with a huge hug, which shows a softer and kind side of harsh Rosa Hubberman.

Feb 16, 1939

Liesel's Birthday

It is Liesel's birthday, and she is given a used doll that was missing a leg and had yellow hair. This was the best that the Hubermann's could do in the poor state they were in.

Mar 15, 1939

Liesel Meets Rudy Steiner

The Steiner's are the Hubermann's neighbors on Himmel Street. Rudy Steiner and Liesel meet while playing soccer. Rudy is an excellent soccer player, but Liesel wards off his ball with her elbow. Rudy hits her in the face with a muddy snowball, only because he actually really likes her. She calls him a "Saukerl." The two youngsters develop a friendship that blossoms with time.

Mar 20, 1939

Liesel and Rudy race and Rudy bets a kiss on it!

Rudy seems to be in love with Liesel. He constantly wants to be around her, and today the two race the hundred meters. Rudy bets a kiss on it, but they both slip before the finish. Rudy says that one day Liesel will "be dying to kiss" him.

May 28, 1939

Liesel Learns to Read

Hans discovers, "The Grave Digger's Handbook" which Liesel stole from her brother's burial. Hans asks Liesel if she wants to read it and of course she does. This is the start of their midnight reading lessons. That night Liesel wakes up from her nightmare, because of the memories of her dead brother Werner. Hans comforts Liesel by reading with her. Liesel realizes the power that words have on people and her life.

Sep 1, 1939

Liesel Begins School in Molching, Germany

The summer went by very quick and Liesel starts school in her new town of Molching, Germany. Although she is 10, she is put into a class with kindergarten students. When she becomes too disruptive in the younger kid's class, she's moved up to a class of her peers. Liesel is given a couple of "Watschen" or beatings in the hall.

Sep 8, 1939

World War II Begins

World War II begins in Nazi Germany. Death is busy and will soon work non-stop as millions die in what is said to be the most brutal war in history. Liesel comes to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann, her foster parents. Her papa plays the accordion and her mama is strict. Liesel can't read or write, but she will soon learn how.

Nov 7, 1939

Liesel Fails at Reading

An oral exam is conducted at the school to test the children's reading skills. Unfortunately, Liesel has only just learned how to read. While the class is reading outloud Liesel gets skipped over, because her teacher knows she is not at the same reading level as the class. Liesel volunteers anyways, and humiliates herself in front of the class. She is scolded by her teacher and is tormented and taunted in the schoolyard, which leads her to bully the other children.

Nov 7, 1939

Liesel Fights in the Schoolyard

After the humiliating attempt to read, Ludwig Schmeikl and Tommy Müller bully Liesel. Liesel does not like being bullied, and her strong-willed nature leads her to get into fights with both of the boys. Liesel wins both fights, almost beating the boys to death. Sister Maria sees Liesel's bloody knuckles, and she gives her a severe Watschen.

Dec 25, 1939

Liesel Gets Two New Books For Christmas

For Christmas, Liesel recieves two books from Papa (Hans). These books are called, "Faust the Dog" and "The Lighthouse." Papa bought the books from a Gypsy and traded eight cigarettes for each book.

Jan 4, 1940

Liesel Collects Laundry for Mama

Rosa's first customer cancels having her do their laundry. Mama's solution is for Liesel to collect the laundry herself, because people will not fire them if Liesel is the one the customers see doing the work.

Jan 16, 1940

Liesel's Class at School Writes Letters

At school, the students begin to write letters. They must write to one friend, and somebody who is not in their class. Liesel chose to write to Rudy and her Mama, who she has not seen since the day she was dropped off on Himmel Street to live with the Hubermann's.

Feb 16, 1940

Liesel's Birthday

Today is Liesel's 10th birthday, but this year she didn't recieve any presents. Mama was still bitter and angry because Papa gave Liesel two books for Christmas when she told him to only give herr one, and save one for her birthday.

Feb 19, 1940

Rosa Notices Money is Missing!

After Liesel collected money for the laundry, she used some of it to mail the letters she wrote to her real mother. Rosa noticed the missing money and asks Liesel what happened to it. Liesel admits that she had spent it. Rosa starts beating her, but immediately stops and apologizes when Liesel says that she mailed her letters. Liesel realizes that she will never see her mother again and remains on the kitchen floor, unable to move.

Mar 24, 1940

Hans Junior Runs Away

During the visit of Hans Junior and Trudy, Hans Junior becomes frustrated and leaves the house. He never returns again!

Apr 20, 1940

Hitler's Birthday & Liesel Steals Another Book

To celebrate Hitller's birthday and his victories, the town of Molching has a fire at the town square of Himmel Street. The residents burn books, anything from post WWI and propaganda of German enemies. Here Liesel teals another book, "The Shoulder Shrug." After the fire a group of men are clearing away the ash. In the pile of ash Liesel noticed some unburned books. She manages to reach one of the books that she could see before the men ushered her away.

Apr 20, 1940

Liesel finds out that Hitler is responsible for taking her mother away.

Hans meets Liesel at the church steps. Liesel just heard a man give a violent speech condemning Jews and Communists. She asks him if her mother is a communist. Hans lies and says he does not know. Liesel asks if Hitler took her mother away, and Hans, finding it impossible to lie, says yes. Liesel hates Hitler for taking her mother. Hans forces Liesel to do a proper Nazi salute and say "Heil Hitler."

Apr 20, 1940

Liesel's revenge and life as "The Book Thief" truely begins!

Liesel is angry she cannot admit her true feelings about Hitler. Liesel boldly commits her first act of defiance against the Nazis by stealing a banned book in public. This move triggers Liesel's motivation for reading and stealing books. She will continue to do this as a rebellion and vengeance against Hitler.

Apr 23, 1940

Liesel becomes afraid to collect laundry from the mayor's house

When Liesel stole the book, "The Shoulder Shrug" someone had seen her. She thought that it was the mayor's wife, Ilsa Hermann. Now Liesel is both afraid and reluctant to gather the laundry from the house of the mayor.

May 28, 1940

Liesel falls in love with books after seeing Ilsa's library

Ilsa Hermann, the mayor's wife, had seen Liesel steal the book from the fire. Weeks later, the right opportunity presented itself, not to punish Liesel like Liesel suspected, but to introduce Liesel to the library. Liesel fell in love with Ilsa's stunning room with rows and rows of books and words lining the walls. Liesel would return often to read passages from those books. It would further develop her appreciation for words and her understanding of literature.

Jul 21, 1940

Rudy and Liesel steal food

Liesel and Rudy, her best friend, are both poor and starving. Today they met a group of older boys who were in the theiving business. Liesel and Rudy got in with them and stole fruit from local farmers. Liesel and Rudy knew what they were doing was wrong, causing internal conflict, however they were starving and desperate to eat.

Oct 12, 1940

Liesel and Rudy Steal from Otto Strum

Liesel and Rudy have begun to start stealing, beginning with Arthur Berg's gang stealing apples. They have now been observing Otto Strum biking the same route for a month. Every Friday he carries a basket full of food to the church. Liesel and Rudy decided that Otto's basket would be an excellent target to steal. They create an ice patch on Otto's path. Otto hit the ice patch and crashed his bike, allowing Rudy and Liesel to steal the basket of food!

Nov 4, 1940

Max arrives at the Hubermann's

On November 3, 1940 Max left for Munich. Today Max arrives at the door of 33 Himmel Street, seeking help from the Hubermann's. He is feeling selfish for showing up at their door asking them to risk their lives to save his. (pg 169)

Nov 7, 1940

Max moves into the basement

Max grabs Liesel's arm after waking up, and scares Liesel to death. This incident caused Max to move and sleep down in the basement, instead of in Liesel's room.

Feb 16, 1941

Liesel is given a book for her birthday!

It is Liesel's birthday and she recieves another book, "The Mud Men" from Mama and Papa. Max didn't get her anything, because he did not know it was her birthday. Liesel is special though, and would have gotten something for her if he had known.

Feb 23, 1941

Liesel is given "The Standover Man" written by Max

When Max had nothing to give Liesel for her birthday, he took it upon himself to make her a book about his own life. Max called this work of art, 'The Standover Man." He gave it to her a week after her birthday, when it was complete.

Mar 18, 1941

Hans Junior Joins the Nazi Party

Hans Jr. is fed up with everyone and joins the Nazi party to be with others who believe in Hitler's regime.

May 13, 1941

The Day Mares

Max tells Liesel about his "Day Mares" (Fighting against Hitler, the Führer.)

May 15, 1941

Liesel's soccer team beats Rudy's

In mid-May, Liesel's soccer team trounces Rudy's! She excitedly tells Max. Max asks her to descibe the sky, and he draws her description on the wall, with the two of them walking on a cloud.

Jun 4, 1941

Liesel, Max, Hans and Rosa paint over the pages of Mein Kampf

In early June, Max, Liesel, Hans and Rosa remove and paint over the pages of Mein Kampf. They are preparing them for a new book!

Jul 1, 1941

The Whistler

On this day, Ilsa insists that Liesel takes the book that she has been reading in the library, "The Whistler." Once Liesel finally agrees, Ilsa gives Liesel the bad news; an envelope to cancel Mama's service. On her way home, Liesel becomes very angry at Ilsa, therefore she turns around and goes back to the mayors house. Liesel expresses her anger to Ilsa and then gives back the book, "The Whistler."

Jul 1, 1941

Liesel yells at Ilsa

Liesel yells at Ilsa, attacking her for being wealthy, arrogant and tells her to face the fact that her son is dead. Liesel throws the book Ilsa gave her on the ground and sees Ilsa as having been beaten up by her words. Later Liesel tells Rosa that she called the mayor's wife pathetic, and that is why Ilsa fired them. Rosa does not think Liesel is capable of insulting Ilsa for obsession over her dead son, and calmly accepts the news of having been fired.

Oct 30, 1941

Rudy and Liesel steal "The Whistler"

After returning the book to Ilsa, Liesel keeps thinking about it, and wants it back. Craving some more thievery, Liesel leads Rudy to Grande Strasse, where the mayor's house is. After many unsuccessful visits, this time the window to the library is open. Liesel takes this opportunity as a chance to steal back "The Whistler."

Nov 4, 1941

Viktor throws "The Whistler" book into the water.

When Rudy and Liesel were returning to their homes, Viktor and the stealing gang spotted them. Liesel adored the book, "The Whistler," and had developed a habit of carrying it around everywhere she went. When Viktor saw them, he came and snatched the book from Liesel. Rudy tried to protect Liesel and the book, protesting to Victor, however it wasn't enough and Viktor threw the book into the river.

Nov 4, 1941

Rudy retrieves "The Whistler" for Liesel

Rudy was determined to get the book back for Liesel. He ran after the book along the riverside until he finally got close enough to jump in and grab it! This event drrove the two characters closer and their already tight bond grew stronger.

Dec 26, 1941

The Snowman

There is snow outside and Liesel decides to bring snow down to the basement to show Max. Liesel said, "We have to make a snowman." She made a snowman down in the basement for Max. The snowman is a symbol of how fragile life is and the current state of Germany. Everyone is dying or "melting" away, leaving only memories of them.

Mar 21, 1942

Max Wakes Up

For months following the deep chill of the winter, Max was not well. This provided a number of external conflicts: they had to keep him in Liesel's room where it is more likely someone would find him, they needed to cure his illness, they wouldn't know what to do with the body if he died. For awhile things were looking bleak, as he seemed to be in an eternal slumber, but finally he woke up and recovered.

May 1, 1942

The Gasing of the Jews Begins

Extermination by gas begins in Sobibor killing center; by October 1943, 250,000 Jews would be killed and disposed of.

Aug 15, 1942

Hitler Youth Fair

Hitler's youth fair takes place. At this fair, Rudy wins three of the four sprint races. The amazing athlete won three gold medals, and could have won four. Rudy lost the fourth one on purpose because he said he wasn't Jesse Owens.

Sep 24, 1942

Hans, Rosa and Liesel go to a bomb shelter

The sound of the sirens on September 24, 1942 move Hans, Rosa and Liesel to a bomb shelter. They have to leave Max alone in the basement, hoping the hidden Jew would not be found.

Oct 2, 1942

Rudy Dies: The Bombing of Himmel Street

The destructive bombing of Himmel street on the night of October 2, kills everyone execpt Liesel. The loss of Rudy is heartbreaking, and Liesel only gets to kiss him once he has died. Rudy never really knew how Liesel felt about him.

Oct 6, 1942

The Long Walk to Dachau

Hans is helping a Jew by giving him bread. Both Hans and the Jew are beaten and whipped by a Nazi soldier nearby.

Nov 16, 1942

Hans joins the LSE

Hans joins the LSE, an Air Raid Special Unit. His job is doing the cleaning along with other German men.

Dec 22, 1942

"The Word Shaker" is given to Liesel

Rosa gives Liesel "The Word Shaker" by Max Vandenburg. Max left a few months earlier and Max wanted Rosa to give it to Liesel at the right time. It was another book of friendship between Liesel and Max. Liesel read the book and dreamed it that night.

Jan 17, 1943

German 6th Army surrenders at Stalingrad

German 6th Army surrenders at Stalingrad (Russia).

Jan 24, 1943

"The Accident": Hans gets a broken leg

This afternoon in Essen Hans and the men are on their way back to camp. Reinhold Zucker insists Hans trade places with him in the truck. Hans complies, and soon after the truck gets a punctured tire and goes off the road. Hans suffers a broken leg, but Zucker breaks his neck and dies.

Apr 9, 1943

Liesel is reunited with "Papa": Hans comes Home

Hans comes back from the LSE with a broken leg. Liesel hugs him forever and would not let him go. She said "Papa, Papa" at least a hundred times. While Hans was at war, his accordian stood for safety and hope that he would return home soon.

Aug 16, 1943

Liesel writes about her life in a little black book

"The Book Thief"
Liesel is given a little black book by the mayor's wife. She decides to write about her life: "The Book Thief" a small story by Liesel Meminger. She spent nights writing it down in the basement while everyone was asleep. The last line of her story was, "I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right." This line is the most important line of the entire book!

Oct 2, 1943

War and death are occuring throughout Germany

The war is taking more lives than imaginable. It is like dominoes: once they fall you can't stop the other ones from falling. Once one bad thing happened, others continued to follow and no one could stop people from dying. This event is leading up to the saddest part of the novel: The bombing of Himmel Street!

Oct 14, 1943

Himmel Street is Bombed: DEATH

Himmel Street has just been bombed and death has come and taken the souls of Rudy, Rosa, Hans, and many more. Liesel is running through the rubble and debris. She sees Rudy, his eyes were closed and his lemon hair was dirty. "Rudy, wake up. Please wake up. I love you." Rudy did not wake. Liesel sobbed on his chest and kissed his dirty lips. Liesel then discovered Rosa and Hans. She hugged mama and placed Hans's accordion next to him. It was a devestating day!